Writing a kick-ass cover letter

Step 1 - Always write a cover letter

Always. If you don’t, it looks like you are lazy and you lose the chance to stand out from the other applicants.

Step 2 - Tailor your cover letter

Do not use the same standard letter for all your applications, it is easy to spot a non-specific cover letter and again, it just looks lazy. Take some time and make it specific to the company and the role.

Step 3 - Do your research

Have a look at the company’s website, news stories and social media feeds to figure out how they conduct their business, what they care about and the challenges they may face in their industry.

You can use this information effectively in your cover letter, eg ‘ As a single parent I understand first-hand the struggle to find good babysitters on short notice. Your online babysitter booking and vetting system has taken all the hassle out of this process and I would love to be part of your inspiring company.’

Step 4 - Start strong

Do not duplicate your CV and the job description in your covering letter. Your cover letter will be stapled to your CV and they are well aware of the vacancy requirements, you don’t have to repeat the obvious.

Rather use this opportunity to let your personality shine through, eg “Want to know why you should hire me? I am passionate about knitting, I live it, I breathe it, I dream it and if I could I would eat it. I believe my bubbly personality, combined with my knitting ninja skills will be an excellent fit for the team at Knitting & Knotting.”

Step 5 - Showcase your problem-solving skills

It does not have to be a specific problem, it could be an industry related problem that you understand and have experience in, eg. “The baked beans industry in New Zealand is currently facing the same challenge as the lentil industry – the high business cost of food labeling. At lentils-r-us I drove the process to cut their labeling costs with 50% and believe my experience will benefit the team at bakedbeans-r-us.”

Step 6 - Keep it short

A good cover letter has about three paragraphs and is no longer than half a page. Skip the long lofty introductions, just jump straight in and get them interested in you. They should be able to read it at glance, so keep it short and strong.

Step 7 - The internet is your friend

There are a lot of resources out there if you are not sure what to do and Dr Google can almost answer any of your questions. There are also plenty of cover letter examples available (as we have on this page) so review some good examples, download a template and remember to put your own spin on it.

Good luck!

Written you cover Letter? Great! Now you can:

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